If I Just Hold You
by Kaname-Nakajima
Summary: when Lucci takes a step too far and starts hitting Kaku, Jyabura steps in and defends the redhead. what will Kaku do about his ctumbling relationship and what is this he's feeling for Jyabura? - incomplete - MM - abuse - not BETAd - i suck at surmising
1. Chapter 1

Jyabura sat in the lounge trying to ignore the enraged yelling coming from the kitchen. They had been fighting furiously over the most mundane things lately. It had the entire group constantly on edge. Not even the creaking sound of his teeth grinding could block it out nor could he meditate with all the noise. He would just have to put up with it … again.

The former assassin cringed at some of the names Lucci was calling the younger man. As much as he wanted to step in he knew, from past experience, it was not the best idea. He still carried the fading bruises. He wished they would settle their fights soon so the household could go back to the way it used to be, but he doubted that was bound to happen any time soon.

A loud crash snapped him out of his train of thoughts. There was more heart wrenching yelling from Kaku begging for Lucci to come back before the front door slammed.

Jyabura got up and quickly moved into the kitchen to check up on Kaku. The young man was kneeling on the floor next to the disarranged table, his face hidden in his hands.

The wolf Zoan crouched beside the redhead just listening to him cry for a short time before he extended his hand, gently touching his shaking shoulder. Kaku jumped away from the touch, noticing the older man's presence for the first time.

Jyabura's heart felt as though it tore in two when the boy looked up at him, eyes glistening with tears.

The first thing he noticed was the large red mark rapidly forming on the side of Kaku's face and the small trickle of blood rolling down his cheek. Jyabura froze, his body violently shaking with rage. The pair had fought before but Lucci had never EVER hit Kaku before.

The older man immediately got to his feet and swiftly made his way to the front door. The same direction Lucci had taken.

"JYA!" Kaku's tortured voice pierced his heart deeply. Despite caring greatly for the youth, he would never show it while Lucci was still in the younger man's life. He stopped a couple of steps short of the door.

"Please … don't, please." The younger Zoan's voice was barely a whisper.

Jyabura made his way back to the young man taking him in his arms. Kaku couldn't hold it in any longer, he broke down completely in his rival's strong embrace. The wolf Zoan held him against his chest and let the boy cry himself into exhaustion, all the while trying to burn a hole in the wall with his hate filled glare.

'_Lucci will pay for what he's done!'_ Jyabura thought wrathfully.

'_He WILL pay.'_

* * *

Kaku's crying eventually died down to the occasional dull sob, though shivers still wrecked his slender frame. It was late, well into the new morning and Kaku was exhausted from the night's events. Soaked shirt and all Jyabura pulled back from the embrace and ran his fingers through the boy's short hair, one of the few hints he ever gave the younger man that showed he truly cared.

"C'mon kid, you're exhausted, let's get you to bed." Kaku didn't reply, he let out a couple of heaving sobs and shaky breaths before nodding in agreement. Jyabura pulled the redhead to his feet and helped him into the bedroom, all the while holding his shacking shoulders tightly. It was all he could do for the boy.

The older man helped Kaku into his large double bed, catching in the process a glimpse of the ugly swollen bruise that was rapidly developing on his cheek. Another wave of anger hit him like a train. He stopped for a moment, forcing himself to calm down and shoved all his fury and malice into a box in the back of his mind, to be later released upon the leopard Zoan. Once Kaku was settled in and somewhat calm Jyabura moved away from the bed towards the door.

"Get some sleep. I'll catch ya in the morning." He waved slightly over his shoulder.

"Jya, wait!" Kaku's panic stricken voice piped up from behind him.

"Please don't go." The boy sobbed.

Jyabura clenched his fist and let out a shaky sigh. Those tear filled eyes were quickly becoming too much for him to handle. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Jyabura kicked off his shoes before pulling off his tie and goggles and placing them on the bedside table. He laid down next to the smaller man and held him close.

"I'm not going anywhere, kid." Kaku broke down into a fresh wave of sobs and the older man let his eyelids fall shut, retreating into his own thoughts while the boy cried himself to sleep.

Jyabura snapped out of his meditative state when he heard the front door shut quietly, he slowly moved away from Kaku trying not to wake him and exited the room as quietly as his angered state allowed. With tightly clenched fists, the wolf Zoan entered the kitchen to come face to face with a tall dark haired man.

"Blueno? The fuck are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working?" His voice not louder than an agitated whisper. The tall man placed his coat on the table before straightening the disarranged pieces of furniture.

"Califa called. She asked me to come home. What happened?" His deep, whispered tones matching the other man's. Jyabura had been chatting with the woman before the fight had started but she had disappeared into her room the moment the yelling began. He hadn't seen her since.

"Go ask her. I'm going out." Jyabura hissed before heading out the door.

The moment he stepped out the door the cold night air bit at his exposed chest and the freezing pavement stung his bare feet. He didn't feel a thing past the anger and adrenalin coursing through his veins. Jyabura started walking, stalking the streets of Water 7 with no particular direction but one goal in mind; to find Lucci and make him regret what he had done.

The wolf Zoan wondered aimlessly for a good hour or so before he gave up and decided it was time to head back home. He had no clue where Lucci could have gone, he only hoped the other man wouldn't get back before him.

A violent shiver wreaked the man's body as he noticed for the first time the small white snowflakes that had started to float down from the dark sky. Jyabura didn't bother closing his jacket, he just sped his pace a little. Getting sick wouldn't do him much good but his mind wasn't concerned about the near future, it was only focused on his immediate goal: protecting Kaku.

* * *

He was hit with a sudden wall of heat as he entered the house, he then realised just how cold he had been.

"Welcome back." Jyabura heard from the kitchen. He followed the low voice into the next room to find Blueno and Califa sipping coffee at the kitchen table.

"Did you find him?" Califa asked in a small concerned voice; she was still visibly shaken from the earlier incident.

Jya hung his head, ashamed that he hadn't yet been able to confront the man. He shook his head slightly before he disappeared into his room.

Once in the dark room Jyabura shed his snow dampened clothes and let down his hair. He ran his fingers through the pitch dark strands and sighed heavily.

"I wonder how the kid is doing?" The wolf Zoan muttered to himself.

Pulling on a dry pair of pants he exited his own room before ducking into Kaku's. His eyes roamed over the sleeping figure of the younger man, lingering over the bruised face, committing single every detail to memory. He would never forget what Lucci had done. Under the cover of darkness Jyabura stalked closer to the bed and sat on the side, just watching the boy. After what seemed like an eternity, he reached out and stroked the sleeping youngster's soft hair. He lifted his legs onto the bed and lay behind the young man, soft blankets beneath him.

"Jya?" Kaku mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah I'm here, go back to sleep." Kaku wriggled closer to the warm body and fell asleep almost immediately. Jyabura would usually have been contempt laying there on top of the blankets, but clad only in a thin pair of pants he soon realised just how cold the winter air was.

Careful not to rouse the younger man, Jyabura slid beneath the covers with him. He moved as close as he could to Kaku and wrapped a strong arm around the slender body. He hoped that the boy wouldn't mind.

Placing a soft, almost nonexistent kiss on the back of the younger Zoan user's head, Jya let his eyes fall shut. He quickly drifted into the world of dreams all the while looking forward to waking up next to the younger man for the first time.


	2. Chapter 2

Jyabura's mind slowly roused from the pleasant dream he was having. He felt the warm body close to him.

He had woken to this same dream so many times before. This time it felt so real…

He cracked his eyes open and was met with a view of bright orange hair. It took the man a moment to realise he was awake and that the scene was, in fact, real. He sighed with a smile on his face and rolled onto his back, away from the warm body.

It felt kind of strange to share a bed with someone. The older man had never slept in the same bed with someone else for an entire night, his back ached a little from the movement restriction but he decided the feeling of having company in the morning wasn't all that bad.

It made him feel needed, like he was worth something to someone.

Hoisting himself up from the soft mattress, Jyabura sat against the headboard, eyeing the boy next to him. As much he wanted to give in to his urges to reach out and touch the younger man, Jyabura pushed them back. He didn't want to complicate their friendship. It was for the best that the boy stayed ignorant of his feelings.

Kaku rolled over, facing the older man and wrapped his arms around one of Jyabura's thighs. Apparently the boy was a clingy sleeper. The older Zoan user chuckled and scratched his bare stomach whilst he contemplated whether to stay until the boy awoke or to make himself scarce.

He was never given the chance to come to a conclusion. Someone had interrupted his perfect little world.

The door slammed open and Jyabura visibly jumped in surprise. The wolf Zoan felt as though his heart would stop as the intruder's eyes fell upon him.

He knew the moment the door hit its frame that this wouldn't end well for him. Lucci stayed silent, just glaring at the older man. Jyabura didn't know what to do, whether to sit there, explain the situation or try to leave.

That was when the flood gates of his mind opened and the reasons for him being there in the first place came crashing back. His hands started shaking with renewed fury.

The wolf Zoan all but jumped out of the bed, the movement rousing the smaller man. Kaku sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Jy-" he started before he spotted the man in the doorway, a look of shock and fear spreading across the boy's face. "L- Lucci? I -"

Jyabura moved before either of them could act. He closed the short distance between himself and the other man, drew back his clenched fist and brought it forward with all the strength he could muster.

All the feelings he had bottled up over the last day went into that one blow.

Lucci never saw it coming.

The leopard Zoan stumbled backwards out of the doorway, reeling from the unexpected blow. Jyabura didn't give him time nor the chance to recover. Blinded by rage he reached out and took hold Lucci's throat in one hand, drawing the other back for a second attack. The older man felt a heavy weight attach itself to his right arm, stopping him from bringing his wrath down on the other man.

"JYA! STOP IT!" it was Kaku who had grabbed him in an attempt to stop the wolf Zoan from killing his lover.

Lucci didn't let the moment of distraction go to waste.

He forced Jyabura's hand away from his throat and brought his knee up, burying it in the other man's gut. Lucci's fist collided with the side of Jyabura's head, sending him crashing to the floor. Before Lucci could move in for another attack Blueno's solid body appeared between the two brawling men.

He didn't say a word, there was no need. He merely scowled down at the leopard Zoan in silent warning. The man took the hint.

Jyabura pulled himself up into a sitting position, coughing and spluttering while trying to regain his breath. He looked up past Blueno, glaring intensely at Lucci who returned the favour, neither of them backing down.

Kaku stood leaning heavily on the door frame, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. The youth looked from one man to the other, not knowing which one to go to. He took a fearful step towards Lucci and gingerly touched his arm in apology for the misunderstanding. Kaku would never do something as despicable as cheating.

With Kaku's silent apology, Lucci's anger hit its peak. He didn't give the boy a chance to explain before his fist came up and backhanded the boy away.

Jyabura's eyes widened as the boy was struck. Knowing what had happened the previous day was one thing but witnessing it with your own eyes was another matter entirely. The wolf Zoan ducked past Blueno and tackled the livid younger man to the ground. If he had his way Lucci would be dead in less than a minute.

"Don't you ever touch him!" Jyabura hissed, curling his fingers around Lucci's slim neck once again. He fought against the tightening grip to no avail, the older man was too strong in his angered state.

Jyabura was almost instantly thrown off of him, a pair of large hands pinning him to the floor. Lucci moved into a crouching position, about to pounce on Jyabura in retaliation when Blueno knocked him back down.

"STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU" The huge man bellowed. "You're acting like damn children!" Jyabura struggled against Blueno's grip, but the barman easily held him down, pressing his face into the carpet.

"Calm down! Both of you!" Lucci eyed Jyabura from where he was on the floor. He got to his feet; Blueno watched his every movement like a hawk. He walked past the sobbing Kaku and disappeared into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Califa darted out from her hiding place in the next room to kneel next to Kaku and try to comfort the boy. Jyabura had stopped struggling though his anger hadn't diminished in the slightest. He had his fists clenched so hard his nails broke the skin, the small amount of blood staining the carpet. Blueno loosened his grip on the man, easing his weight off of him slightly.

"If I let you up will you behave?" Jyabura remained silent and the larger man assumed that silence was an agreement and moved off of him.

The moment he was released Jyabura jumped to his feet and shot towards the door Lucci had retreated into. He didn't make it farther than a couple of steps before Blueno grabbed a hold of his wrist and pulled him back to the ground. The barman stepped between the enraged man and the door, leaning against the smooth wood.

"Dammit, Blueno! Move!" Jyabura hissed through clenched teeth.

Crossing his arms over his chest the large man spoke;

"Take a walk." The older man was taken aback by the strange response.

"W- What?"

"Take a walk and cool off, come back whe-"

"But that fucking bastard in there jus-"

"OUT NOW!" The booming voice putting a stop to any further argument.

The wolf Zoan stood in place for some time glaring at Blueno in an attempt to make him back down. He failed miserably; the barman didn't falter under the enraged man's glare, instead he returned it with equal intensity. Jyabura soon gave up and disappeared into his room, retrieving a jacket and slipping on a pair of shoes. He gently touched Kaku's hair as he walked past, heading out the front door. He trusted Blueno to look after Kaku.

"He'll be fine without me there." The wolf Zoan tried in vane to reassure himself as he walked.

"He'll be ok."


	3. Chapter 3

The wolf Zoan stalked the streets of Water 7, still fuming from the previous events. Not even the fresh snow falling silently around him could cool the raging inferno that was his anger.

"I need booze." He mumbled before changing direction and heading towards his favourite bar.

It wasn't long before he found himself wandering towards the door of "Blueno's bar" as it had been aptly nicknamed; it had a proper name but no one used it these days. Blueno legitimately owned it now, not just under the government cover so it was now more than ever his bar.

Even though it was only midday the place was already bustling. Jyabura took a seat at the bar and gave the barkeeper a small wave. Knowing him all to well the man brought the wolf Zoan over his 'usual'. Nodding in thanks Jyabura downed his drink; the barman moved to pour him another.

"Leave the bottle." He said quietly to the barkeep.

"Bad day?" The man asked politely, leaning on the bar in his moment of down time.

"You have no idea." Jyabura mumbled sarcastically into his glass.

"May I ask what happened?" He enquired, concerned for his friend.

Jya sighed deeply but before he could say anything the barman was called away by some other patrons. He was thankful for the man's concern but he really didn't feel like divulging the abuse of the one he loved.

He hadn't been drinking for long before a familiar voice rang out.

"Hey Jya! Watcha doing here?" The blonde foreman came over, sat on the stool next to the wolf Zoan and draped his arm over his shoulders.

"I almost didn't recognise ya with your hair down."

Jyabura silently shrugged off the contact and finished his drink. Paulie frowned at the unfriendliness of his usual drinking partner.

"What's up with you today? You seem … off." The blonde couldn't quite figure out what was wrong with him.

"A lot of shit's been happening at home." He sighed in answer.

Looking up at the blonde he noticed a fresh bite mark on his neck. Paulie's attempt to cover it with his jacket collar had failed miserably.

"What the hell happened to you?" the older man asked, trying to sway the conversation away from the subject. Paulie didn't know much about Jyabura's home life and that's the way the Zoan user would prefer it to stay.

Confused for a second Paulie suddenly realised that he was talking about the mark on his neck.

"Shit you can see that?" Paulie asked, hitching his jacket up to hide the bite mark again.

"Plain as day. You had company last night, hah?" Jya asked, a knowing smirk spreading across his face.

The foreman let a nervous chuckle escape him.

"Y- Yeah, I did." He answered, blushing furiously at being caught.

Silence fell over the pair.

"Well c'mon then, spit it out, who is it!" Jyabura loved prying into the younger man's love life. He always got so embarrassed, it was always a good laugh. Just what he needed. He never got any information but teasing him was fun.

"I don't wanna say, you'll make fun of me."

"Come ooooon!" The older man poured Paulie a drink.

"Dammit! Ok, just don't tell anyone!" he downed the drink before continuing.

The two men drank together on a regular basis but had never shared much personal information. He was thrilled to hear the answer.

"Promise you won't laugh?" Paulie asked nervously.

"Yeah I promise, just spill it." He answered with a smirk; the younger man had brightened his day already.

"Well you know the Galley-La shipyards I work at, right?" The blonde asked in a lowered voice, not wanting people to overhear his little secret.

Even though Jyabura had been in the city for only a short time he knew the Galley-La Company all too well; it was where Kaku worked his ass off most days of the week. The wolf Zoan had dropped in there a couple of times to see the young man, he had even met his boss; Iceburg. The redhead had told him before that Paulie had a thing for their boss. He was positive this man was the 'company' they were talking about.

"Yeah I know the place." Jyabura said with a smirk.

"Well there's this … this guy that used to work there." The blonde said turning bright red. "He comes around every now and then." He said, keeping his voice as low as possible.

'_Wait, used to?'_ The Zoan user thought. Before he could say anything Paulie continued.

"His name's Lucci."

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end at the mention of the man's name, his previous anger seeping back into his system. Then he realised the implications the new information suggested. Jyabura's jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth in an attempt to hold his tongue.

"Lucci? As in Rob Lucci?" He asked to make sure they were on the same page. The wolf Zoan didn't completely trust his ears.

"Yeah. D- Don't tell me you know him!" Paulie felt as though he would die of embarrassment.

"How long have you two been … ?" The dark haired man managed to ask through clenched teeth.

"A couple of months. Why?"

"You know he's got a partner, right?"

"Yeah, I figured." Paulie came to a sudden realisation. "Oh god, its not you, is it?" The blonde was starting to seriously regret telling the truth about who he was with.

Jyabura shook his head.

"It's Kaku."

An awkward silence descended upon the two men while the new information sank in.

"W- Wait, what? Kaku? The same one I work with?" Paulie spluttered, trying to get a grasp on the situation.

"Yeah." Jyabura answered coldly. "Kaku."

Paulie's forehead lowered to the hard wood of the bar, his fingers buried in his blonde hair.

"Fuck … Dammit. Dammit!" He and Kaku had been great friends since they started working together years ago. He never even thought to consider that those two were together. The realisation of what he had been doing hit him like a ton of bricks. He had been sleeping with his best friend's partner.

The wolf Zoan didn't know whether to comfort the man or scold him for being such an idiot and not knowing better. He decided upon simply staying silent; Paulie was doing a fine job of reprimanding himself. He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"C'mon kid, don't beat yourself up. You didn't know."

"I should have." Jyabura didn't deny that fact. He had known both Kaku and Lucci for years. Yes, he should have known.

Paulie sighed heavily, face still hidden.

"I'll break it off." The older man could hear in his utterly defeated voice that he really didn't want to but he would make the sacrifice for Kaku's sake.

"You don't have to; they won't be together for much longer." The dark haired man finished another glass of the strong alcohol before pouring both him and the younger man another.

"What? Why?"

Jyabura knew that he had already gone too far by saying what he had, there was no going back now.

"He hit Kaku."

"WHAT!" A couple of heads turned their way at the outburst from the younger man.

"If I have any thing to do with it he'll be dead next time I see him." The wolf Zoan's anger was once again rapidly bubbling up inside him.

He sighed heavily.

'_Getting angry here won't help anything.' _

"I gotta get going". The older man mumbled. Every minute he was away from Kaku got him more worried for the red head's welfare.

"Hmm." Was all the mumbled answer he got.

Jyabura ruffled the blonde's hair as he stood.

"Don't brood too much kid, I'll sort it all out."

"Yeah, thanks,"

Jyabura waved over the bartender.

"Leaving already?" The man asked politely.

"Yeah, put this on my tab." The wolf Zoan picked up his half empty bottle of alcohol and placing it in front of Paulie. It was his way of apologising for depressing the youngster.

"Blueno won't be happy. He tells me you have to start paying for your drinks." The man said with a frown.

"Today's different, he'll understand." He mumbled and made for the door.

"Look after him." Paulie's voice not much more than a whisper. Jya nodded before heading out the door and into the streets.


	4. Chapter 4

The wolf Zoan found himself before the front door of the house where all the former members of the CP9 (excluding their commander) resided.

Leaving in a rush as he had, he completely forgotten his house key. He lifted his hand and lightly rapped his knuckles on the hardwood door.

The man closed his eyes and took a deep heavy breath trying to calm his nerves. He had no idea what would happen if Lucci was the one to open the door. Probably another fist fight.

Only moments later the door swung gently inwards and Califa bid him welcome.

"I didn't expect you home so soon." She said as he wandered past her.

"I also expected you to me a lot less sober, what happened? Did they kick you out already?" Her stirring was met by silence. She closed the door with a sigh and followed the man into the kitchen. Usually Jyabura enjoyed getting wound up by their playful banter, but he had too much on his mind at that moment to enjoy such games.

"I had someone to talk to." He mumbled, sitting in one of the kitchen chairs, his back to the entrance.

"A friendly listener always helps."

'_Wise words.'_ Jyabura thought with a smile.

"Coffee?"

"Yes please." The Zoan user unconsciously ran his fingers through his long hair as he always did when it wasn't tied back. Separating himself from the real world he drifted back into his thoughts once again.

'_What will I do when I see Lucci next time? Probably kill him.'_ He answered his own query.

'_And what do I tell Kaku? Do I tell him about what Paulie said? Or do I play dumb and let that bastard keep on cheating?'_ The dark haired man's hands covered his face whilst he argued with himself.

'_No I can't do that! Kaku will think I'm just making it up to split him and Lucci up, or even worse. He could think I'm saying it to try to hurt him.'_

"Dammit!" He said out loud, frustrated with his few options. He didn't like the sound of any of them.

"Don't brood too much. Here." Califa handed him a cup of steaming coffee and sat down across the table from him. She had used the same words on him as he had with Paulie, causing him to unconsciously retreat further into his thoughts,

"You look like your trying to figure out the meaning of life. You'll get wrinkles if you keep doing that." Jya couldn't help but chuckle at the joke. She was right though, he needed to relax so as to take his mind off his problems, if just for the short time it takes to drink a good cup of coffee.

"Thanks." The Zoan made a start of the coffee with a small smile on his face.

* * *

They had been chatting over coffee for no more than a minute when Califa fell silent mid sentence. She got up from her seat and left without further word. Jyabura was about to confront whoever had entered the room when lean arms wrapped around his chest.

"Thanks for sticking up for me." Kaku mumbled into the back of his neck. The older man smiled and placed one of his large hands over one of Kaku's smaller ones.

"Any time kid, you know that."

"I know but … Thanks again." After one final squeeze he released the larger man and sat in the chair next to him, the bruised side of his face not visible to the wolf Zoan.

"How are you doing, kid?" Jyabura asked, genuinely concerned for the boy's welfare, both physically and mentally. Kaku's smile faded and his eyelids fell lower.

'_Great he's depressed as hell, why did I say anything?_' Mentally kicking himself for getting the redhead down, Jyabura slung his arm over the youngster's shoulders.

"I don't know what to do, Jya." The boy started, voice already quivering.

"S'ok kid, it could be worse."

'_Don't say that, you fucking idiot! It IS worse! You stupid idiot! STUPID!_'

"Jya?" He hadn't realised that he had spaced out for a moment.

'_I really need to stop doing that.' _Getting lost in thought was far from the best thing he could do at the moment.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" The younger Zoan let out a heaving sob before he took a deep breath and continued.

"I still love him, even after all this." The man froze up, tightening his grip around the sobbing boy.

"He doesn't deserve you, kid" Kaku lent closer to the man.

"Don't say that, he's a good man, he really is. He just-' tears burnt at the edge of the boy's eyes yet he tried to be strong and hold them back.

The wolf Zoan clenched his teeth to stop himself from saying anything he would later regret.

"What do I do?" he sniffed.

Sighing heavily Jyabura thought his answer through this time.

"I don't know. kid. I'm not really the right person to ask; you know what my answer will be anyway."

"I know."

The same crushing silence fell over the pair.

"Cheer up, kid." Jya mumbled, itching to break the silence. The boy said nothing. The older man's leg started twitching, a nervous habit he had never gotten over.

It seemed as though the silence wasn't going to budge until the wolf Zoan's stomach let out a loud growl. As hard as he tried Kaku just couldn't hold in his snickering.

"Shut the hell up! I haven't eaten today!" Jyabura said, voice raised in mock anger.

The youngster couldn't hold it back any longer; he burst out in hysteric laughter.

"I said shut up!" Laughed the older man.

'_He's cheering up a bit. Good.' _

"How about I go and cook us something nice for lunch?" Kaku got from his seat and wiped tears of bliss from the edges of his eyes.

"That would be great, kid." He took another sip of his forgotten coffee and frowned when he found out it had gotten cold.

"And another coffee?"

"Hmm? Yeah. Thanks. Need any help?" He offered trying to be useful to the boy.

"Pfft. No! If you try to help you'll set the kitchen on fire. AGAIN!"

"Ahh, C'mon! It wasn't that bad!"

"You've got to be kidding me! Remember how much it cost to repair the mess you made?" The wolf Zoan put on his best pouting face.

He was rather ashamed to admit that it was all true. Kaku had kept him well away from the kitchen ever since.

"I blame the gas stove." He shot the stove a searing glare. "That thing is evil."

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say." Kaku teased while he made the older man's coffee.

"Please tell the others I'm cooking lunch." The younger man asked with a genuinely happy smile.

Jyabura still had no idea why Kaku had insisted on going back to the shipyards to work when he obviously loved cooking so much and with the skills he had he could easily make it as a chef. But still, the boy had demanded that the first thing he did when they moved in, even before unpacking his things, was to go back to his old boss, Iceburg and apologising for what he had done.

When the older man offered Kaku his old job back he accepted with that familiar idiotic smile of his face.

That was the first time Jyabura had met Kaku's boss. The younger man hadn't wanted to go alone and Lucci refused to apologise for something he was ordered to do. Califa had also tagged along to do the same as Kaku and apologise for wronging the mayor but she refused the job offer, choosing instead to pursue a career somewhere else.

She knew there would always be a level of mistrust from him and Paulie and she chose to work somewhere else because of it.

She still dropped by for a friendly visit every now and again; slowly winning back the trust she had lost. Kaku on the other hand chose to deal with it head on, now both men he had wronged trusted him with their lives once again.

Once he had his coffee Jyabura got up and left the room, trying to get out of Kaku's way as much as he could and at the same time fulfiling his request. He moved into the lounge, trying to find where Califa and Blueno were hiding. Sure enough he found them sitting together on the couch, lost in quiet conversation.

Jya lent on the threshold silently watching them.

Califa chuckled at something the older man had said and lent in a little closer. Blueno lifted his hand and brushed a couple of strands of hair from her face, brushing his fingers across her cheek at the same time. A tender smile tugged at his lips as he spoke.

The way they were at that time reminded the wolf Zoan of what Lucci and Kaku were like when they first got together, back when Kaku was happy.

'_Everything's changed so much since then.'_ Jyabura thought. _'Lucci's changed.' _

Califa suddenly notied that they were being watched and practically jumped away from the large man. The wolf Zoan couldn't help but laugh quietly at her timidness; she was usually the bold, authoritative one of the group.

"Kaku's cooking lunch." Jyabura informed the pair as he took a seat on the other couch.

"Has he told you anything at all?" Blueno asked, concerned about Kaku. "He hardly said a word to either of us."

"Hmm, a little. He's still really down." the Zoan user mumbled into his coffee mug. "He's confused more than anything."

"I don't blame him. You think he'll be ok?" Blueno leant back as he spoke and draped his arm nonchalantly over the couch behind Califa. The blonde looked a little embarrassed but said nothing.

"He's smart, he'll work out what to do. I just hope he leaves Lucci before he gets hurt again."

"Lucci's changed." Califa interjected, her voice was distant and her eyes unfocused, as if lost in memories of better times.

Jyabura sighed heavily.

"He has. He used to love Kaku." The room fell silent at the wolf Zoan's remark. They all knew it was true but none wanted to make the accusation.

Jyabura got to his feet.

"I'm gonna go tell Kumadori that Kaku's cooking. Where's Fuukuro and …"

"Lucci's out. He disappeared not long after you did and Fuukuro is at work, like you should be." Califa informed him with a smirk tugging at her featuresa littlet it,e at wwork right now. to make es un focosed, as if lost in memories of better times.55555555555555555555555555555.

"Ahh shit! Dammit! I completely forgot!"

"Don't worry about it. I called in for you, same for Kaku. Neither of you should be at work right now." As always Blueno was the one to think ahead.

"I agree. You're both too distracted; you'll probably get someone hurt." The woman joked.

"You know I would never hurt those kids."

Since they had moved to Water 7 Jyabura found himself needing to get a job for the first time in his life. The arts were all the wolf Zoan knew so he started up a small but successful martial arts school, the only one in the city. Most of his students were children and he loved them immensely. Those kids always cheered him up no matter how much of a bad day he was having.

"I'll let you two get back to what you weren't doing." Jyabura said, making a playful stab at the couple. He winked over his shoulder at them as he exited the room and headed towards Kumadori's room, where he was positive the man would be. Sure as the sun rises, he found the overly tall man sitting on the floor in his room going over the few lines he had in the upcoming play he managed to get a role in.

Jyabura stuck his head into the open door.

"Kaku's cooking lunch. It should just about be ready." He told the other man.

"Really? I am completely famished! Let us go partake of his wonderful meal!" Kumadori said, overacting every word and movement as per usual.

Lunch was as uneventful as a meal in that household could be. Califa stole glances to her side, making puppy-dog-eyes at Blueno when she thought no one was looking while he chuckled at his housemate's antics.

Kumadori was telling everyone how "Kaku's home cooked meal is so wonderful it makes me want to die of happiness!" The compliment making the boy blush furiously. Jyabura broke out into gruff laughter at the sight of Kaku's bright red face; he easily dodged a playful swipe the boy made at him and soon found himself wiping tears of merriment from his cheeks.

Everything seemed so right, so normal.

Jyabura felt a familiar pang in his chest when he remembered that his perfect little world would crumble away the moment _he_ walked in the door.

He just hoped he would be able to hold on to this peace a little longer before it all came crashing down around him.

Just a little longer.


	5. Chapter 5

Lucci snuck through the front door not long after midnight, he moved silently down the hallway towards his bedroom. He was fully intending on simply hopping into bed and calling it a night until a voice rang out in the quiet house.

"Done drinking for the night are we?" Jyabura was sprawled out in one of the lounge chairs reading a book. Lucci hadn't sensed the man's presence at all before he spoke.

'_I must be tired.'_ He thought, dismissing the screw-up.

He ignored the man and kept walking, opting for the 'adult response' this time. He didn't have enough patience to deal with the wolf Zoan's antics that night. He just wanted to sleep.

"Or did Paulie throw you out on your ass?" Lucci stopped mid step at the comment.

'_How the fuck does he know that?'_

"I don't know what you're on about."

"I think you do."

"There's nothing between Paulie and I."

"That's not what I've heard" The leopard Zoan's eyes thinned to mere slits as he sent the other man the most poisonous glare he could muster.

Jyabura felt a strong shiver run down his spine; he tried his hardest to suppress the shakes, he only partially succeeded.

Small hairs rose over his body under the deadly glare, he felt as though Lucci was undoing him from the inside out.

'_I started this, I can't back down now!'_ The wolf Zoan didn't want to get into a fight with the younger man in the middle of the night; everyone was already asleep and the lot of them had to work in the morning. He also decided it wasn't the best idea for a marital arts instructor to show up to work with injuries from a fresh beating.

He swallowed hard before he opened his mouth to speak again.

"Do you have any idea how much you've hurt both, Kaku and Paulie?" The two men were silent for some time before Lucci spoke again.

"Did you tell him?" Jyabura considered he answer carefully.

"Yeah. I told him." A white lie. The older man thought it was for the best for Lucci to think he was in trouble; it may make him clean up his act.

Grinding his teeth the leopard Zoan started moving towards his room again, he had deemed the conversation over.

He stopped in front of the door and sighed heavily. He had no idea what he would do if Kaku started yelling, he really did care for the boy but his temper had been running really short lately.

Lucci slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside the dark room. He quickly stripped and pulled on a pair of thick cotton pants before crawling into bed with the red head.

"Lucci?" Kaku mumbled, roused by the movement.

"Yeah." He moved closer to the boy holding him close.

"Hmm, welcome home." He mumbled before drifting off to sleep again.

Lucci let his eyelids fall shut. It seemed as though he would be able to get a peaceful sleep after all. He moved his lips closer to the boy's ear, brushing them softly against the orange hair.

"I love you." He whispered, warm breath tickling Kaku's ear. The older man got a sleepy mumble in return.

He let a smile tug at his lips as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Early morning sun flooded through the open curtains, enveloping the bed with its golden light. Kaku rolled onto his stomach, trying to escape the light but to no avail. He cracked his eyes open and soon realised he was alone once again.

He replayed his memories of the previous night, trying to work out whether he had really woken up to Lucci coming home or whether it was just a dream. It wouldn't be the first time.

He sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

'_Another morning waking up alone.'_

"I'm here." A smooth voice broke into his thoughts. Kaku's sleepy eyes scanned the room for the source of the voice and found Lucci standing in front of the window, looking out over the city. The slight breeze that wafted in through the window made his black locks wave slightly.

Kaku crawled out of bed and moved towards Lucci wrapping his arms around the man's slim waist.

"So it wasn't a dream, you did come home last night." The redhead nuzzled the older man's neck as he spoke. He was glad to have his Lucci back.

"Yeah. Don't you have work today?" Lucci wasn't trying to dismiss the youth but he _was_ already late.

"Dammit. Yeah I do." Kaku moved away from the dark haired man. Removing his silver necklace he placed it on the bedside table before starting his search for his work clothes.

"What are you doing today?" Kaku asked as he hopped around the room trying to pull on his pants.

"Probably nothing."

"Want to come to the shipyards and have lunch with us?" Kaku asked. He didn't really expect a positive answer; the older man had refused him almost every other time.

"I may" Lucci leant forward, resting on the window frame.

"Thanks." Kaku looked over at him as he did up his pants.

A rogue gust of wind lifted the older man's hair, revealing the five scars that had been on his back for as long as Kaku could remember along with a couple of new injuries. He had seen marks like those on Lucci's back before but this was the first time he hadn't put them there.

Clenching his teeth Kaku tried to act like he hadn't seen them but they kept floating back into the front of his mind.

"Say, Lucci."

"Hmm?"

"Where did you end up going the other night?" The red head asked as he pulled on a shirt.

"I got a hotel room."

"Oh ok … was-" _'There anyone else with you?' _He managed to stop himself before he blurted out something he would regret.

"I was alone" Lucci was sharper then Kaku had hoped.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking." Kaku zipped up his jacket and made it for the door.

'_But the marks are there … He's lying'_

"I've got to head off, I'll see you later."

Kaku rushed into the kitchen and took the slice of toast Blueno was offering to him. Califa, Fuukuro and Kumadori where there as well but there was no sign of Jyabura.

'_He only has afternoon classes today, he won't be up for another hour or two.'_ Kaku told himself.

The boy was more than a little anxious to talk to the older man. He wanted to know whether he knew anything about where Lucci had been disappearing to, whether he knew if Lucci was cheating.

But is seemed as though he wouldn't get his chance until that afternoon.

Kaku didn't stop to eat with the others. He didn't have time, he was already late.

"I'm heading off now, I'll be back fairly late today." He announced before taking a large bite of his toast.

"Don't work too hard." Blueno said, handing him another slice of freshly made toast.

"Thanks, I won't." He rushed out the door with a slice of toasted bread hanging from his mouth.

* * *

The young man thought about his situation as he jogged towards the shipyards, he was too distracted to take his usual roof top shortcut. It was only a couple of minutes before he found himself at Dock 1 of the famed Water 7 shipyards. Kaku went straight to Iceburg's office to apologise for being late.

"I'm sorry I'm late Iceburg-san. What's on the roster for today?"

"God Kaku! What happened to your face?" Kaku lifted his hand and gingerly touched his bruised cheek. He'd have to put on a strong act today.

"I got in a fight, it's not as bad as it looks."

"Nmaa, do you want to talk about it?"

"No." _'Yes.'_ He really did need to talk to someone but he didn't think his boss was the right person.

Iceburg gave him a lingering look of concern.

"I'm fine really, what do you want me to work on today?"

"Nmaa, if you insist." He gave Kaku his instructions before sending him off to the shipyards.

* * *

"Hey, Paulie!" The blonde foreman had just sat down to make a start on his lunch when Kaku spotted him.

"Hey, Ka- what the hell happened?" He blurted out, momentarily forgetting what Jyabura had told him the previous day.

'_No!'_ He thought _'I still don't believe Lucci would do that!'_

"I got into a fight." He said giving his friend the same line he had used earlier that day.

"Don't give me that crap, Kaku. You don't get into fights." Paulie snapped, his words had come out a little harsher than he had intended. "Sorry." He mumbled before starting on his lunch as if he hadn't eaten in a week.

"It's ok, Paulie. You know me too well." He sat down next to the other man and sighed heavily.

"I got in a fight with my partner the other night and he hit me. End of story." Paulie stopped eating and hung his head.

"So it was true." He mumbled under his breath.

"What was that, Paulie?"

"Can- can I ask who he is?" Kaku furrowed his brow.

"As long as you don't go beat him up like Jya did." Kaku mumbled with a hint of displeasure in his voice.

"I won't."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Kaku sighed heavily.

"It's- it's Lucci. Please don't think any less of him, he's a good man. Really!"

'_Dammit! Why did it have to be him.'_ Paulie squeezed his eyes shut. At that moment he hated himself above anything else. Taking a couple of deep breaths the blonde calmed his nerves and opened his eyes again.

"You already knew, didn't you?" Kaku asked surprised by his lack of reaction.

"Yeah, I did."

"Oh yeah, you and Jya are friends right?"

"Yeah."

'_Well this conversation is going nowhere.'_ Kaku thought drearily.

"Hay Paulie, can- can I talk to you about something … personal?"

'_Dammit, here it comes! He's gonna ask me whether I'm sleeping with Lucci!' _The foreman assumed Jyabura had told him already.

"You can always talk to me." He continued, somehow keeping his voice steady.

"Well I-" Kaku started his voice shaking a little.

"Paulie, I think he's cheating on me." The foreman clenched his teeth but stayed silent. He wouldn't lie to Kaku.

"He keeps sneaking off and he often doesn't show up until the next morning. He seems so distant these days, he hardly even talks to me now and also…" He paused for a moment.

"This morning I saw some marks on his back … I wasn't the one who made them, Paulie." Kaku raised his hand to his face and covered his eyes. He had to fight back the tears that threatening to come; he wouldn't let Paulie see him this weak.

The blonde watched the other man as he tried to deny the sadness that threatened to take over him. It was almost too much for him to bear.

"I'm really sorry, Kaku." He mumbled.

"Don't apologise. You didn't do anything wrong. I didn't tell you because I want pity, I told you because I need help. I don't know what to do. I feel so lost" Kaku rested his forehead on his knees in an attempt to hide the tears he couldn't hold back any longer.

The blonde moved closer to the former assassin and gently placed his hand on his back.

"Your smart Kaku, you'll figure something out."

'_God Kaku, I'm so sorry I did this to you. I'll never be able to make this up to you.'_

* * *

Paulie wrapped both his arms around his sobbing friend and gave him a warm hug, it made Paulie feel a bit strange knowing he was the cause of all of his friend's suffering but he knew the boy needed the comfort.

The pair were immediately spotted by a pair of dark eyes from across the shipyards, the man stopped mid-step at the sight.

Lucci had turned up for lunch just like he said he would. He was less than impressed by what he found there. _His_ Kaku nestled close to another man and not just any man, he was being held by _Paulie_.

The dark haired man watched the embrace for a moment as the time dragged on and the two didn't part.

* * *

Paulie clenched his eyes shut and sighed heavily, he had no idea how he would tell Kaku he was the one Lucci had been sneaking away to see. He had no idea how to tell him that he was sorry but he knew he would have to. Somehow.

The blonde pulled Kaku closer and placed a soft kiss on his hair in apology.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered.

* * *

Lucci didn't miss the sign of affection and it made his blood boil. How dare Paulie place his hands on _his_ Kaku! How dare he _kiss_ him!

Lucci was about to make his way over to the pair when a voice to his side caught his attention.

"Hey Lucci, is that you? Long time no see, mate!" It was Lulu, one of the other foreman.

"How about you come have lunch with us?" He motioned towards a small group that consisted of Tileston and a couple of other workers.

'_I can't stay here.'_

"I was just leaving." He mumbled before making a quick retreat. He had to get out of there before Tileston announced his presence to all Water 7, including Kaku and Paulie.

Muddled thoughts clouded Lucci's mind as he ran from the shipyard and disappeared into the streets of the water metropolis

* * *

"Please don't apologise." The light kiss made Kaku a little uncomfortable but he assumed it was just Paulie's way of trying to cheer him up and he was grateful for his friend's caring. He wiped his eyes and lifted his head.

"Thanks for listening, Paulie." He said as the other man moved away.

"Just remember, whatever happens, anything at all, remember that I'll always be here for you. You can come to me no matter what." The blonde was trying his hardest to stop his voice from trembling but he couldn't quite suppress it completely.

'_He seems a bit down.'_ Kaku thought as he looked up at the other man. _'Maybe I got him worried.'_

"I know, I won't forget."

The redhead gave Paulie a small smile before starting on his lunch.

"Hey guys." They heard only moments later.

"Lulu, what's up? You seem distracted." Kaku asked the tall man.

"Yeah, I guess I kinda am. Lucci was just here, he took off before anyone had the chance to say hi. He looked real flustered too. Wonder what's wrong with him."

Kaku and Paulie shared a look; they knew exactly what had made him leave in such a hurry.

'_He saw us!'_

"Shit!" the Zoan user mumbled under his breath.

"I wonder." Paulie said to no one in particular.

The three men shared a moment of silence before Kaku got to his feet.

"I'm going to get back to work." He mumbled before dismissing himself.

"Yeah, that's a good idea, I think I will to." Lulu wondered off in the direction of his current project leaving Paulie alone with his thoughts.

'_What the hell do I do now?_'


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey Kaku?" Paulie mumbled as he followed the redhead out of the shipyards. It was the end of the day and they were both about to head home.

"Yes?"

"You know where my place is, right?"

"Yes, I've had to drag you home when you were drunk before, I believe I'll be able to find it again." Kaku chuckled at the amusing memory of trying to follow a half unconscious man's directions. Unfortunately it wasn't a memory they both shared.

"Well, if things go bad between you and Lucci, I have a couch you can sleep on if you need somewhere to stay." The blonde said shyly, he didn't want Kaku to think he was trying to get into his pants but he had to let the boy know that he had somewhere to go.

"Thanks, I'll remember."

The pair exchanged quick goodbyes before parting ways, both heading to their respective homes. Kaku couldn't help but break into a jog as he got closer to the apartment the former CP9 members shared.

He wanted to hurry home and explain to Lucci what had happened but at the same time he wanted to avoid the man until he had figured out what to do about their crumbling relationship.

He had no idea what he wanted to do.

Before he was more than a block away Kaku suddenly changed direction. He walked the short distance to a small martial arts school he knew. It wouldn't be the first time he had waited for Jyabura to get off of work so they could walk home together.

The Zoan user slipped through the door, slid his shoes off and took a seat on a tatami mat against one of the walls.

There where a few pairs of adults nearby. They were parents waiting for the class to end so they could take their children home. Kaku nodded to them in greeting before turning his attention to the class. He knew more than a few of the parents, he had chatted with them many times whilst waiting for the classes to finish.

His eyes wandered over the faces of the children, lingering over each one. He loved kids and had always wanted a couple of his own but he knew his lifestyle would never support that, let alone would he be able to bring in enough money to raise one. Kaku closed his eyes and sighed; now that his relationship with Lucci was falling apart he had even less chances of that dream coming true.

"Ok kids, that's all for today!" Jyabura said loudly, snapping the younger man out of his thoughts.

"I'll see you lot tomorrow."

The children scattered, some went to Jya to say goodbye to their sensei, some found their parents and the older kids left to walk home alone. Kaku stayed where he was against the wall and waited for the small dojo to clear out. He watched the older man chatting with one of the couples about the progress of their child had been making.

The redhead just watched him talk; it was weird to see him truly happy, without his barriers up. Jyabura always kept people at bay but he always let his guard down around his students.

It was one of the reasons Kaku often came to watch the end of the classes, he enjoyed seeing the real Jya.

"Why are you sad?" The small voice snapped Kaku out of his brooding. One of the students: a 5-year-old blonde girl had come up to him.

"I'm not sad." He answered, putting on a fake smile.

"Yes you are, your eyes are sad." Kaku was a little taken aback by the unexpected statement.

"I guess I am, just a little." The girl took a step closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. The child held him for a moment before she let go.

"Are you happy now?" Kaku smiled genially at the sign of affection, children just had a way to always cheer him up.

"Yes. Very much."

"Your hair is pretty." She said, reaching out and touching his bright orange hair. It was a rather unusual colour, especially in Water 7.

"Why thank you. I think yours is very pretty too." The pair laughed quietly.

The couple talking to Jyabura said their goodbyes and called the young girl; it was time for her to leave.

"I have to go home now." She said sadly.

"Well then you better go before your mummy and daddy get angry."

The girl leant forward and kissed Kaku on the forehead.

"Don't be sad anymore." She said sternly before running off to her parents.

"Goodbye mister." She called back to the redhead.

Kaku laughed as he waved to the girl.

"Great kid, isn't she?" Jyabura was leaning against the wall next to the younger man.

"Yeah. Are you just about ready to go?" he asked, looking up at the other man.

"Just let me lock up." Kaku waited patiently as the older man fetched his keys and jacket.

"So, why did you wait for me?" Jyabura asked as they left the small dojo. He was wearing his usual jacket over the top of his white training gii, Kaku had the fleeting thought of how strange it was to see the older man dressed in white.

"Do I need a reason?" he answered with a smile. _'I don't want to see Lucci'_

"Hmm. I guess not." As much as Kaku wanted to bring up the subject of Lucci he just couldn't force himself to. Little did he know that the older man was in the same situation. The pair walked home together, chatting softly about nothing in particular.

* * *

Kaku and Jyabura slipped through the front door of the seemingly empty house. They were both in surprisingly good moods considering all that had happened over the last couple of days.

"We're home." Kaku said loudly. No answer.

He knew every one except the pair of them and Lucci were working late hours that day. Considering the silence he assumed Lucci was out.

Letting out a heavy sigh of relief Kaku hung up his jacket and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Do you want something hot to drink, Jya? It's damn cold outside."

As if to confirm the statement a violent shiver attacked the older man.

"That would be great, just let me go change." Jyabura went into his room to change out of his training gii and into something warmer. The days were getting colder with the oncoming of winter and snow had started to cover the streets.

After only moment Kaku heard footsteps entering the kitchen.

"What did you want me to ma-" he turned as he spoke to face the man that entered. It wasn't the one he had expected to see.

"Lucci." the man stayed silent, he merely stood there watching the younger Zoan user with distain painted clearly on his face.

"What the hell was that earlier?" He mumbled between clenched teeth.

Kaku's hands started to shake so he shoved them in his pockets and answered without meeting Lucci's dark eyes.

"It wasn't what it looked like." _'Dammit! Could it sound any more like I'm lying!'_

"Don't lie to me, I know what I saw."

"I was upset so I spoke to Paulie. End of story." _'Wait. Why am I defending myself? I haven't done anything wrong. He should be the one making up the excuses.'_

"That's shit; you two were a lot closer than that."

* * *

Jyabura was about to walk into the kitchen when he heard hushed voices arguing. He leant against the wall, out of sight of the pair and crossed his arms over his chest.

'_And the fighting starts again.'_ He thought staying silent and listening to what the two had to say. He was ready to step in if he was needed.

* * *

At the last accusation Kaku looked up and met Lucci's glare with equal anger.

"What about the marks on your back?" The boy snapped. He was sick of Lucci's allegations, it was time to make some of his own.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't give me that shit! You have nail marks on your back and I didn't make them!"

"There's nothing on my fucking back!"

"Stop lying to him Lucci." Jyabura interjected from the threshold. "Tell him what you've really been doing."

The pair fell silent.

"You knew about this?" Kaku yelled, breaking the silence, tears burning in the corners of his eyes.

"Yeah, I did." Jyabura studied the ground, refusing to meet the boy's eyes.

"How long have you known?"

"Since yesterday." He mumbled

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to hate me." He hung his head in utter defeat.

"It's not true; he's just trying to split separate us so he can get to you." Lucci said, thankful that the attention had been diverted from him.

"W- What?" the younger man's anger dropped back. He had never even considered Jyabura would do something like that.

"Don't listen to him Kaku." Jyabura mumbled in defense.

"He's just trying to get you into bed with him." Lucci accused.

"That's not fucking true, you lying bastard!" The wolf Zoan's short temper had reached its limit.

"You know it is, we've all seen the way you look at him."

Kaku was in shock about the new revelation, he didn't know what to think anymore.

Jyabura said Lucci was cheating, Lucci said he wasn't but Kaku knew he was and now Lucci was saying that Jyabura was just being manipulative and trying to split them up.

Kaku didn't know who to believe anymore.

"Jya?" he said quietly. "Is it true?"

The older man stayed silent. He was not about to deny his love for the redhead.

"C'mon, love. Lets go out for the night." Lucci stepped forward and placed his hand lightly on Kaku's cheek. He lent in closer to kiss him but Kaku pulled away.

"Don't touch me." He hissed, his anger returning.

"I don't care what either of you say, I know you're cheating!"

"Did Paulie tell you that?" Lucci said matter-of-factly. Kaku had no idea why Lucci was bringing Paulie back into the conversation.

"What does Paulie have to do with this?" he asked a little hesitantly, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Lucci, don't!" the wolf Zoan said, butting into the argument once again.

"Stay the fuck out of this, Jya!" Kaku was sick of his constant interruptions by now.

Lucci smiled at the cruelly at the scolding the wolf Zoan had gotten.

"Yeah I was cheating, I'll admit that. You want to know who with?"

Jya turned away form the pair, he didn't want to see the hurt in Kaku's eyes when Lucci told him.

"It was Paulie." Lucci leant against the counter and just watched as the boy fell apart.

"No, it can't be, it … can't-" Tears soaked the young Zoan user's cheeks. He didn't want to believe it but he knew it was true, it was all falling into place. Why Paulie wasn't acting like himself. Why he kept apologising.

'_Oh god! He was apologising for that!_' Kaku leant against the table for support, he didn't trust his shaking legs to hold his weight.

Lucci moved closer to the sobbing youngster and placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

"C'mon, I'm not doing any of that now, we'll work things out." He leant in closer and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"I love you." The dark haired man whispered against Kaku's skin.

Jyabura's every muscle tensed at the statement. He knew Lucci was just trying to confuse Kaku. He also knew that Lucci wouldn't stay faithful for long, he would soon find another play-toy to replace Paulie and then it would happen all over again.

He had to find some way to make Kaku see who Lucci really is, that he isn't the mistaken good guy that Kaku thought he was.

A fresh wave of tears burst forth from Kaku's eyes as Lucci spoke.

"I- I don't know anymore." He pushed Lucci away and bolted out the door and into the streets.

"I hope you're happy now." Jyabura mumbled as he passed the smirking Lucci. He went straight out the door to follow Kaku.

At that moment Lucci didn't really care Kaku was angry with him or that he had found out about Paulie and himself. He knew that the boy would come crawling back to him, he always did.


	7. Chapter 7

"Kaku wait!" Jya yelled as he spotted the younger man running down the nearby street at full speed.

"Shit." He mumbled before he sped off after him. He soon caught up with the redhead and reached out, grabbing a hold of his shirt.

"Get the hell away from me!" Kaku yelled back at the man, attracting themselves some attention from passers by. Jyabura released the shirt and let Kaku pull ahead of him. That was the last reaction he had expected to get from the boy.

Ahead of the wolf Zoan, Kaku ducked into a back alley in an attempt to loose the older man. Jyabura saw it as a chance to talk to him away from prying eyes and put another burst of speed into his steps. He followed Kaku into the alley and quickly closed the distance between them.

Kaku felt himself being pulled backwards by the wrist, he hadn't realised he was still being followed.

"Let me go!" he yelled at the older man, tears streaming down his face.

"You're not going anywhere, kid." Jya mumbled as he pulled the younger man closer and held him still against his chest. Kaku struggled against the grip but soon gave up.

"Why didn't you tell me what you knew?" He snapped at the older man, his temper still running high.

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"You should have told me!"

"I know! … I'm sorry."

Kaku pushed away from the older man and to his surprise he was released.

"It's too late for apologies now." Kaku started walking away from the Zoan user.

Jyabura took a couple of steps towards him before the redhead spoke again.

"Don't follow me."

"You're not going anywhere alo-"

"I've had enough of your fucking games, leave me alone!" Kaku didn't wait for any sort of reply before he went on his way.

The last accusation stabbed deeply into the wolf Zoan, he really did love Kaku. He wasn't playing games with the boy's heart like Lucci had said and was doing so himself. Jyabura would never do anything to deliberately hurt Kaku.

Kaku didn't look back as he left the alley, he didn't care if he had hurt the other man with that statement. For all he knew it was all true.

The redhead wiped his tears from his face as he walked, every step bringing him closer to the man he wanted to speak with.

Jyabura followed a few meters behind the younger Zoan user, never taking his eyes off him. The older man had no idea where Kaku was heading nor did he really care, he wouldn't leave the boy until he knew the kid was alright.

After not to long Kaku found himself standing before a familiar apartment complex. He knew he had arrived at his destination.

"Go home." He mumbled as Jyabura came up behind him.

"You won't get rid of me that easily. Who lives here?" he asked out of curiosity.

Kaku ignored the question and walked through the door. He made his way up the stairs until he found the door he was looking for. Jyabura hung back a bit as Kaku knocked on the door.

"Fuck off! I told you not to come back here!" The pair were more than a little shocked by the answer. Kaku hesitated before knocking again. The sounds of someone coming to answer the door could be heard from inside the apartment. The door opened a crack, security chain still attached.

"Go find some one else to bug." The blond on the other side of the door blurted out before he realised who he was talking to.

"K- Kaku?" he said, rather embarrassed by his screw up.

"Paulie." The redhead answered dully as the foreman closed the door, removed the chain and opened it fully.

"I thought you were someone el-"

"You thought I was Lucci." Kaku said flatly.

"Yeah … I did." He answered after a short silence. Paulie moved aside, inviting Kaku into his home and he entered without a further word.

The blonde looked up at Jyabura.

"You coming?" he asked, holding the door open.

The older man didn't need to be asked twice, he took a couple of steps forward, closing the distance between himself and the door.

"I take it things didn't go too well." Paulie whispered to Jyabura as he passed.

"Lucci is being a vindictive bastard; he's trying to make me out to be the bad guy." He whispered back, still pissed at the allegations Lucci had made against him.

"That well, hah? How did Kaku take it?"

"He hates me." Jyabura whispered, more than a little upset with how the evening had turned out.

"And me?"

"I don't know but he came to you, didn't he? Go talk go him."

Paulie left the man in the entryway and wondered into the lounge where he found Kaku sitting on the couch sobbing. He sat down next to him and draped his arm over Kaku's shaking shoulders.

"I'm really sorry I didn't tell you." Paulie whispered to Kaku. The Zoan user wiped his eyes before he said anything.

"How long have you known that Lucci and I were together?" he asked in a small voice. Paulie thought for a moment before he answered.

"Only since yesterday, Jya and I were chatting and put two and two together and realised we were talking about the same guy."

Paulie glanced over his shoulder to see Jyabura watching them from the hallway. He was leaning against the door-jamb chewing his thumbnail. It was a nervous habit the blonde had never seen before in the older man.

'_This must be really eating at him.'_ Paulie thought, turning back to Kaku.

"What did you do when you found out?" Kaku moved closer to the blonde, he needed the comfort of human contact.

"I got real depressed 'bout it, drank for a while then went home. When I got back Lucci was already here." both Kaku and Jyabura tensed up at the direction the story was going.

"There was more than a bit of yelling then I sent him packing, haven't seen him since." Paulie could physically see the other man relax at the answer, like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"There was no way I would keep seeing him after I found out that he was your partner." Paulie wrapped his arms around Kaku's slim shoulders.

"I'm so sorry I did this to you." Paulie whispered into his hair. Kaku started sobbing once more at the apology from the foreman.

Jyabura watched the pair silently from the doorway. He was jealous of how close they were even after all of this.

Ducking back around the corner, out of sight, Jyabura let down his barriers for the first time in a long while. He raised his hand to cover his eyes as he felt hot tears burning at the edges of his eyes.

So many muddled feelings were building up inside of him, they were quickly becoming too much for him to handle. Not only was Kaku's entire world falling apart but now Jyabura felt like he had lost the boy completely. The one person he loved hated him.

The man's back slid down the wall before he settled on the floor, he couldn't keep up his strong act anymore. Once the tears started to flow Jyabura could no longer hold back the flood gates.

He sat there on the floor, face in his hands, weeping over the loss of a dear friend. He didn't care what cost was involved; he just wanted Kaku to stop hating him.

"You gonna be ok?" Paulie whispered to the older man.

Jyabura wiped his eyes and looked towards the blonde, he hadn't noticed the foreman enter and crouch next to him.

"Why did it all turn out like this?" He turned away again.

"I don't know, Jya."

Paulie was actually rather surprised at the reaction that Jyabura was having. The last thing he expected was for him to get this upset.

"I love him, Paulie" he whispered, turning away from the younger man.

Paulie had no idea what to say. He had never been good at helping friends with relationship issues and this one was getting more complicated by the second.

"I'll try to talk to him." Paulie said, placing his hand on the other man's shoulder.

"Go get yourself something to drink, there's beer in the fridge too, help yourself to what ever you want." Jyabura nodded and silently got to his feet. He had to be strong for Kaku, he had to!

"Thanks Paulie. For all your help." He whispered as he wiped his eyes.

"What are friends for?" the older man allowed himself to smile.

"What indeed." He mumbled before ruffling Paulie's hair, it was something the younger man hated but Jyabura insisted on doing it every chance he got just to stir him up.

"Oi! Stop that!" Paulie cried out, laughing at the same time. Jyabura couldn't help but chuckle.

"It's good to have ya back." Paulie said before he went back into the lounge to check up on Kaku.

'_I think I may just take him up on that_ _offer'_ Jyabura thought as he wondered into the kitchen to raid the younger man's fridge.

* * *

"Jya's real worried about you." Paulie said as he sat next to the other man. Kaku had run out of tears and just sat there staring blankly across the room, lost in his own thoughts.

"He's worried because his little plan has failed." Kaku said coldly, not meeting Paulie's eyes.

"You don't really believe that crap, do you?" A lingering silence followed the pair.

"Shit Kaku! You know him better then that!"

"Do I really?" he was still not convinced of what Paulie was saying.

"It was just Lucci spouting bullshit to try and get Jya into your bad books!"

"He didn't deny it, Paulie."

"Are you really that blind? He's not trying to split up you and Lucci but for him to say that he didn't want a relationship with you would be a lie. Don't you get it? He didn't deny it because he loves you Kaku."

Kaku was shocked by what Paulie had said, he hadn't even considered it.

"You're lying." He said, not wanting to believe it.

"No I'm not, Kaku, he loves you." Paulie said before getting to his feet.

"I'm gonna go take a shower, don't you two destroy my apartment while I'm gone." He joked loudly enough for Jyabura to hear.

"Help yourself to whatever's in the kitchen." Paulie said before he wondered off towards the bathroom. He was hoping they would sort things out between themselves while he was gone.

* * *

Kaku stayed were he was, just thinking, trying to sort through the muddled thoughts invading his mind.

After a long while he got to his feet and wandered into the kitchen, he needed to apologise to his friend.

He found Jyabura sitting on a kitchen bench, staring out the window next to him. He seemed so distant, like his thoughts were halfway across the Grand Line. The older man brought the can of beer up to his mouth and took another sip of the cool liquid.

"Jya?" Kaku said quietly. The older man choked on his drink when he realised he was being watched.

"Are you alright!" Kaku asked as he rushed over to the coughing man and started thumping his back.

"Not… helping…" Jyabura choked out between coughs.

"I'm sorry." Kaku said before he rushed off the get the older man a glass of water. Jyabura gulped down the water greedily; thankfully it helped subside his coughing.

"Are you better?" Kaku was genuinely concerned for him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He mumbled, still trying to suppress the vestiges of his coughing fit.

Jyabura turned his attention to the sunset once again, completely ignoring the boy. He hadn't figured out how he was going to try to repair their shattered friendship yet.

"Umm, Jya?" Kaku mumbled, barely audible.

The man stayed silent out of fear that his voice would crack. He was still more than a little depressed by the evening's events. He just wanted to go to sleep and end that awful day.

Jyabura assumed that Kaku had come to him in order to make more accusations. He couldn't have been more mistaken.

Kaku sighed heavily before he spoke again.

"Look … I'm sorry." Jyabura tensed up at the apology. It was most certainly not what he was expecting to hear.

"I'm sorry I said all that stuff. I was angry and I didn't know what to believe. I really do need you here."

The older man reached out and placed his hand on top of Kaku's head, he ruffled his hair and gave him a sad smile.

"Its ok, kid. I told you; you won't get rid of me that easily." Kaku shot forward and wrapped his arms around Jyabura's chest.

"I'm so sorry! I was an idiot!" his voice was muffled by the older man's chest.

"Hey, I said it was fine, ok? Stop beating yourself u-" his words were cut off as Kaku pressed his lips to the older man's.

The older Zoan user was in shock, he didn't know how to react in a situation like this. He didn't know whether he should take the opportunity and hope for the best or to pull away because he _knew_ that Kaku wasn't in his right mind.

Jyabura suddenly pulled away from the youth, surprising both of them.

"I- I'm sorry, I feel like I'm taking advantage of you." He mumbled, turning back to the window to study what he could see of the sky between the tall buildings.

"I want this Jya." Kaku mumbled, moving in for another kiss. The older man stopped him just short of making contact.

"No, it isn't. You're just upset about Lucci. You aren't thinking straight." As much as it hurt him to back down once he had gotten so close to what he wanted, it just didn't feel right.

"I don't care about that." His voice was flat and he refused to meet the other man's eyes. Kaku just proved his theory.

"Well I do!" Jyabura snapped, his voice raising.

Kaku moved away and left without another word or backwards glance. Jyabura lay back along the counter, feet dangling over the end. He just stared at the ceiling while he let the minutes go by as if they were hours.

He didn't regret his decision and he never would. Even though it hurt to do so he knew it was the right thing to do. If he had let Kaku have his way he knew the boy would have regretted it afterwards. Kaku may have been angry at Lucci but they were still together.

"Why are you laying on my counter?" Paulie said blankly from the doorway. He was wearing only a pair of pants and a towel draped over his head. He was still dripping wet from his shower and already had a strong smelling cigar hanging from his mouth.

"It was more comfortable than the floor." Silence followed the idiotic response.

"Riiiiiiight … at least the floor is softer, it has a carpet." Jyabura couldn't help but chuckle.

"Damn that was lame, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was" Paulie joined in; they both needed a good laugh after the day they had both had.

"So…" Paulie started, still chuckling.

"Are you staying the night or heading home?" Jyabura sat up at the question.

"I have to work tomorrow morning so I'm probably gonna head back." he mumbled as he scratched the stubble forming on his neck.

"And I really haft'a shave"

"Ya sure? You can stay if you want to."

"Nah… Say, Paulie? Does Lucci have a key to this place?" Paulie froze, he hadn't even considered the fact that Lucci could turn up looking for Kaku.

"I don't think so… He never needed one, he broke in all the time. If he does have a key he swiped it. I never gave him one"

Jyabura didn't want to risk Lucci showing up and causing trouble. He had already done enough that evening.

"I think I will stay after all. You have enough room, don't you?"

"Yeah, I have a double bed and the couch." He informed as he towel dried his hair.

"I'll take the couch and I'll probably be gone by the time you two get up." Jyabura hopped off the counter and finished off his beer.

Paulie glanced over his shoulder before coming further into the room.

"Did he end up talking to you?"

"Yeah, he did."

"And?"

"Well he doesn't hate me"

"Good. Well the bathroom is free if ya wanna take a shower."

"I think I'll go out for a while actually, I need to go get my work clothes anyway. I'll be back in about an hour, I'll grab something to eat while I'm out too. Want me to baring anything back?"

"We'll cope. I'll wait up for you then 'cause I ain't shutting that door without the chain."

"I don't blame you. Any message for Lucci?"

Paulie thought about it while he puffed away on his cigar.

"He's not worth the effort, just ignore him."

"Later." The Zoan user said as he wandered out of the kitchen.

Jyabura glanced into the lounge on his way past. Kaku was looking much as he had when Paulie had walked in. He was lying on the couch staring at the ceiling with a troubled expression on his face. The older man knew that there was nothing he could do to lift the boy's spirits.

"Jya, come here for a second." Kaku mumbled.

The older man complied with his request and crouched next to him.

"Are you going home?" He asked, voice shaking slightly.

"Yeah, I'm coming back later though."

"I'm- I'm going to leave Lucci." Jyabura's heart skipped a beat.

'_Finally.'_ He thought. He knew it would hurt Kaku immensely at first but the wolf Zoan _knew_ Kaku would be happier in the long run.

"Will you tell him? I want him to know it's coming." Jyabura smiled slightly, as much as Lucci had hurt the boy, Kaku still didn't have a vindictive bone in his body.

His child like innocence was what made him so special.

"I will."

"Just … don't be a dick about it, ok?" Kaku scolded already knowing what was going on inside the older man's head even before he did.

"I'll try, I promise." Kaku squeezed his hand tightly.

"Thanks. And don't tell the others… Please"

"I won't. See ya later kid."

The older man got to his feet and left the apartment without further word.

It seemed as though it would be a long night for the wolf Zoan.

He was not done with Lucci yet.


	8. Chapter 8

Jyabura snuck through the door, quietly shut it behind him and quickly retreated into his room. He was careful to avoid the other residents of the house; he wasn't in a chatty mood. The wolf Zoan crammed his work clothes into his backpack and flopped down onto his bed. He laid there for a short time with his eyes closed. He wanted everything to go away, even if just for a short while.

A quiet knock on his door interrupted his peaceful silence.

"Yeah?" he grumbled. The door opened and someone silently slipped in.

"So you're the one who was sneaking around." Blueno's deep voice mumbled.

"I'm not staying, I won't be back 'till tomorrow sometime, maybe later." The wolf Zoan said not bothering to move or even open his eyes.

"Do you know where Kaku is? Califa is worried; he doesn't usually stay out this late."

"He's fine, he's at a friend's place." The other man sighed in relief.

"That's good to hear." Jyabura wasn't much in a talking mood.

"Food will be ready in about half an hour, if you want to stay and eat." Blueno informed him.

"Thanks, I will. Is Lucci around?" The other man was silent for a moment before he answered.

"Yeah, he is. He's in his room. I swear if you try to kill him again I'm gonna kick your ass into next week."

"I know. I wasn't planning to. Kaku wanted me to talk to him." Blueno was still unconvinced but he trusted the other man had calmed down.

"Just try not to cause trouble. Do you know when Kaku is coming home?" Jyabura sat up and shook his head.

"I have no clue. He doesn't want to be around Lucci at the moment and I don't blame him, he has lot of thinking to do."

"Some time apart may do them some good." The wolf Zoan didn't repeat what Kaku had said. He wasn't met to tell the others. Besides, the other man would find out soon enough anyway. He got to his feet and moved to the window. He looked up into the starless night sky and watched the snowflakes slowly drift down.

"Things are gonna change soon." He mumbled before he walked past the taller man and out of the room.

* * *

Jyabura opened the door and waltzed into Lucci's room without knocking. He found the other man lying on the bed reading a book.

"Knocking would have been appreciated." Lucci mumbled, unimpressed with the interruption.

"Leave Kaku alone." Jya blurted out, getting straight to the point. A small smirk tugged at Lucci's lips.

"He doesn't want to be left alone." He kept reading his book as though the other man wasn't even there.

"Yes he does. Stop fucking with the poor kid's heart."

'_How can he be so dammed laid back!'_ Jyabura queried, quickly getting agitated with the younger man's calm demeanour.

"I don't know what you talking about. He loves me, simple as that."

"Not any more. He's had enough of your shit. You've lost him." Lucci looked up from his book.

"You know he'll come back to me." Every other time the pair had fought Kaku had come back apologising even though it was almost never his fault. Lucci had no reason to believe this fight would be any different.

"Not this time. You pushed it too far. He's not coming crawling back this time." Jyabura informed the younger man with a slight smile. Lucci's confidence suddenly started to dwindle.

"What makes you think it will be any different?" he asked, abandoning his book completely.

"He wanted me to tell you that he's leaving you." Lucci was taken aback with what the man said.

"You're lying." Lucci didn't want to believe him.

"I wouldn't lie about that, it's the best news I've heard all week." Jyabura walked out of the room without a further word.

"That true?" Blueno asked as soon as the older man shut the door behind him, he had been standing just outside the door the entire time.

"Eavesdropping is a bad habit. You should try not to do it in future." He mumbled sarcastically, not at all impressed about being listened in on.

"I wouldn't have if I was confident that you two wouldn't try to rip each others throats out the moment I turn my back. Now, answer the question." Jyabura scowled at the younger man. He wasn't supposed to tell anyone else, only Lucci. He wasn't happy about being pushed into this new situation.

"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone else but yeah, he's planning to. You can't tell the others though, he didn't want you lot to know and don't you DARE try to talk him out of it!" Jyabura hissed through clenched teeth.

"He finally has the resolve to do this. He doesn't need you guys trying to talk him out of it." Before Blueno had the chance to speak Jyabura moved away from him.

"I'm gonna have a quick shower, save me some food." He called to Califa who was cooking.

"Alright, don't take too long." She called back before he shut the bathroom door behind him.

* * *

Lucci found himself staring at the closed door, still in shock about what the older man had said.

'_Kaku's leaving me? No, it can't be. It's just another of that damn wolf's lies! Kaku loves me too much to just leave. Even if he is planning to now once he's in front of me he will back down. Just like last time.'_ Lucci tried to convince himself that he was right, that Jyabura was simply lying again.

But then his mind drifted back to earlier that day, the pain in Kaku's voice, the hurt in his eyes, his words.

"I don't know anymore." Lucci repeated aloud.

'_Maybe I did over do it this time. Maybe I have lost him.'_ Those thoughts worried him immensely.

Kaku had always been the thing that grounded him, the thing that always kept him coming back. Without the boy he would have either taken off long ago or gotten himself killed by taking on some impossible mission. That boy was his resolve, his reason to keep going.

Lucci had no idea what he would do if he lost him.

The leopard Zoan started to fiddle with the simple gold band on his ring finger. He ran his thumb over the smooth surface and watched the light reflect on the pale gold.

He sighed heavily remembering the night he gave Kaku a matching ring.

He remembered moving his hand beneath the covers to find the sleeping redhead's wrist and drawing it up into the night air.

He remembered sliding the ring onto his finger and whispering the word "forever" into his ear as the boy slept on.

He remembered waking up to Kaku throwing his arms around his neck, repeating the words: "I love you" again and again.

Lucci smiled at the memory. That was the best moment of his life so far.

But he feared it would all fall apart, he feared that if Kaku did what he was planning, the memory would become something that brought him hurt, instead of happiness.

'_What have I done?'_

Lucci had finally realised what he was about to lose.

* * *

Kaku lay on the couch staring at the gold ring that his finger was endowed with. He slipped it off and stared at the inner edge, at the single word that was engraved on its surface.

"Forever" He quietly read aloud. He just wished it was still true.

Lucci had always promised he would always be there by his side, that he would be there forever. But it was all falling apart.

Kaku slid the ring back onto his finger; it would stay there, at least for the time being.

The boy stared at the ceiling as he questioned his own resolve.

'_Do I still love Lucci? I don't know anymore. I don't want to be with him anymore and yet… and yet I can't help but want to try to fix this. Or am I just scared to leave him? Am I scared to be alone? I don't know anymore!' _

Kaku closed his eyes and sighed, all the brooding he was doing was quickly giving him a headache.

'_I can't say I never loved him. I used to, very much. Did he ever really love me? Or was it all just an act? Of course he loved me! He wouldn't have stayed so long if he hadn't. But … did he really care? Does he still care about me? Does he still love me?'_

A thought drifted into Kaku's mind that made his resolve waver.

'_What if he tells me he loves me when I try to split up with him? What will I do then? Will I still be able to do it? Or will I give in and stay with him. What will happen if I do stay? Will he try to fix this? Will we go back to being happy again? But how long will it last? Will he run off and cheat again? It wouldn't surprise me. No! I WILL do this. I can't back out now!'_

Kaku sat up suddenly and opened his eyes. He had finally come to a conclusion. He would leave Lucci. If the other man wanted him back he would have to work for it. He wouldn't back down; not this time. Definitely not this time!

* * *

"I'm heading off, I'll pop back in tomorrow some time to tell ya whats going on." Jyabura said as he came out of his room with his backpack slung over his shoulder.

"See you then." Califa answered cheerfully, she had gotten a lot happier since Jyabura had told her Kaku was safe and fine.

Blueno had hardly said a word to the older man since they had spoken earlier. He just hoped the other man would heed his words and not tell the others.

The wolf Zoan pocketed his keys and left the warmth of the house for the snow covered streets.

"Jyabura." He heard only moments later. The man turned to see that Lucci had followed him out.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly.

"Give this to Kaku for me." He said, holding out a bag.

"What's in it?"

"A clean set of clothes." Lucci said as he threw the bag to the older man. Jyabura was mentally kicking himself. He hadn't even thought to grab clean clothes for Kaku.

"Thanks." He mumbled and started walking again.

"Please tell him that I'm sorry." Lucci said quietly before retreating back into the warmth of the house.

Jyabura was still confused by the entire exchange. First of all Lucci had used his name. Lucci never called him by his name! Ever! Then he had been polite without making a stab at him, which had always been a rarity between the two men.

"Please?" Jyabura repeated, still unable to believe what he had just heard.

Lucci had asked him to say sorry.

Lucci had _pleaded_ him to say sorry!

'_Maybe he's finally getting things together._' He thought doubtfully. He still didn't trust Lucci had cleaned up his act but he had confidence in the fact that Lucci was finally starting to regret what he had done.

The dark haired man couldn't help but break out into a jog as he headed back to Paulie's apartment. It seemed as though his day wasn't as bad as he had first thought. Kaku was finally going to break up with Lucci. He was finally going to let himself be happy.

* * *

Jyabura soon found himself rapping his knuckles on Paulie's door. It had taken him a surprisingly short amount of time to get there, not without losing his way once or twice though.

"Coming!" Paulie called out from inside. The door opened a crack as Paulie checked to see who was there before he opened it fully.

"Everything went ok?" the blonde asked as the older man walked in.

"Not too bad. Where's Kaku?" Jya asked when he saw the boy was missing from the lounge.

"He's taking a shower." Paulie informed, lighting a cigar.

Jyabura moved to the bathroom door and knocked loud enough to be heard over the sound of the running water.

"Yeah?" Kaku answered from inside.

"I've got some clean clothes for you, what do you want me to do with them?" the older man said in a raised voice.

"Great, bring them in." Jyabura hesitated a moment before he opened the door and stepped in. He could see the silhouette of Kaku's body in the shower cubical, he didn't want to stare but he couldn't tear his eyes from the sight.

"Did you talk to Lucci?" The redhead asked.

"Yeah. He didn't believe me at first. Then later he wanted me to tell you that he was sorry." Jyabura turned away from Kaku as he spoke, he didn't want the youth to catch him staring.

"Thank you for doing this for me Jya." He mumbled, the older man barely heard him speak over the sound of the water.

"Anytime kid, I'll just leave the bag here."

"Thanks, I'll be out in a minute." Jyabura exited the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

Paulie stopped mid step when he saw the older man sneaking out of the bathroom.

"I'm not even going to ask." He mumbled and kept walking.

"What?" Jyabura asked before he realised what it had looked like.

"I didn't do anything! He just wanted to ask me something!"

"Look, I don't care. Do what you want. You can even have the bed for all I care."

"What! No, you thick idiot! It's not like that!" He took a playful swipe at the younger man and caught him on his shoulder.

"Riiiiiight." The blonde said with a chuckle. He believed the man but he enjoyed teasing him. It was his revenge for all the times their playful banter was turned on him.

"And I'm not thick, you mistaking me for yourself."

"You are thick as a plank, my friend." Jya said with a laugh as he wandered into the lounge.

"And you're as smart as one." Paulie joked and followed him.

* * *

Kaku stepped out of the shower and quickly dried himself off before he spotted the bag Jyabura had left just inside the door. He pulled out a fresh pair of pants and put them on before he rummaged around in the bag to see what else was in there.

Like Jya said, it was mainly clothes but the redhead soon found something else in the bag. It was a small box he knew all too well.

Opening the box he revealed the thin silver chain that was inside. It had been a gift Lucci had given him for his birthday a few years back.

He never wore it to work out of fear of ruining it, but it was always the first thing he put on as soon as he got home. He hadn't gotten around to retrieving it yet when Lucci had confronted him earlier that day.

Kaku ran his fingers over the smooth surface before he removed it from the box and put it on. He would keep wearing it like the ring, for the moment at least.

The younger man let out a sigh of relief when he felt the cold metal fall against his chest. He never felt quite right when he wasn't wearing the necklace.

Pulling a shirt on Kaku grabbed the bag and exited the bathroom.

TBC

* * *

A/N: well, that's all i have for the moment reviews would be apreciated but all in all i hope you enjoyed it ^^

there WILL be more im just im a slum with this one at the moment so its been put on hold but rear not, i wont scrap it, i WILL finish it eventually


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